Door closing and securing mechanism

ABSTRACT

Door closing and securing mechanism, particularly a mechanism for closing and securing doors of laboratory, which mechanism consist of a fixed part ( 9 ) attached to the respective cabinet ( 12 ) and a movable part ( 14 ) arranged in the door ( 1 ), wherein the movable part comprises at least one plate ( 3 ) provided with flexible end stops ( 4 ) and inseparably coupled with the handle ( 2 ) by means of a center pin ( 10 ) with a coaxial end stop ( 7 ) attached thereto, the plate ( 3 ) being further provided with a pivot ( 5 ) eccentrically mounted thereon and carrying at least one pivotally arranged hook ( 8 ), which has a recess for engaging a protrusion of the fixed part ( 9 ), with an opening accommodating one end of a tensile spring ( 11 ) and with a second spring ( 6 ) formed by a compression spring arranged between the plate ( 3 ) and the hook ( 8 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a door closing and securing mechanism,particularly a mechanism for closing and securing doors of laboratory,medical and sterilization cabinets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The known door locking and securing mechanisms, which constitute theprior art and are typically used in the doors of medical devices,sterilizers or laboratory apparatuses, are usually conceived aslinkage-type mechanisms.

A known door closing mechanism is operated by means of a handle that isrigidly coupled with hooks. The axis of rotation of the hooks isidentical to that of the handle. The movement of the handle causes thehooks to be driven in rotation. Once the mutual engagement of the hooksand the fixed part of the closing mechanism, which is attached to acabinet, is achieved, the continuing movement of the handle causes thedoor to start moving towards the cabinet. The movement of the door,however, is accompanied by the friction between the hooks and the fixedpart of the closing mechanism. The frictional force is inverselyproportional to the distance between the door and the cabinet at anygiven moment. The above effect hinders the door from being closed oropened in a convenient manner. Moreover, it is often accompanied withundesirable acoustic emissions.

The U.S. Pat. No. 8,403,380 B2 discloses a cover closure for housingcover of laboratory and the like, in particular for centrifuge housings,in which a cover hook is engaged by a closure hook and brought into aclosing position. The closing and opening movement of the closure hookis essentially caused by an eccentric in connection with a crank guideand a guide path.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a novel design solution for door closingand securing mechanisms. The design solution according to the inventionis simple and enables the particular door to be easily closed andopened.

The above mentioned drawback are largely eliminated by a door closingand securing mechanism, particularly a mechanism for closing andsecuring doors of laboratory, medical and sterilization cabinets, whichmechanism consist of a fixed part attached to the respective cabinet anda movable part arranged in the door, wherein the movable part comprisesat least one plate provided with elastic end stops and inseparablycoupled with the handle by means of a center pin with a coaxial end stopattached thereto, the plate being further provided with a pivoteccentrically mounted thereon and carrying at least one pivotallyarranged hook, which has a recess for engaging a protrusion of the fixedpart, with an opening accommodating one end of a tensile spring and witha compression spring arranged between the plate and the hook.

According to the invention, the door closing and securing mechanismconsists of a fixed part and a movable part, one or more of thecomponents of the latter performing an eccentric movement in order topull the door towards the respective cabinet.

The main advantage of a door, which is provided with the closing andsecuring mechanism according to the invention, consists in that theopening and closing operation of such door can be considerablyfacilitated. The door opening and closing operations are carried outthrough the corresponding movements of the handle requiring just aminimum force to be exerted, the movements of the internal eccentricmechanism being derived from those of the handle.

Furthermore, the technical solution, on which the door closing andsecuring mechanism according to the present invention is based, enablesthe force required both for closing the respective cabinet and foropening the same to be kept at a minimum level.

Another advantage of the invention consists in the simple designsolution of the closing and securing mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further explained with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 shows the door closing andsecuring mechanism in its open position, FIG. 2 shows the door closingand securing mechanism in the door closing position, FIG. 3 shows thedoor closing and securing mechanism in its closed position, FIG. 4 showsthe movable part of the door closing and securing mechanism, and FIG. 5shows the placement of the respective components of the door closing andsecuring mechanism on a cabinet and in a corresponding door.

EXAMPLES OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an exemplary preferred embodiment of the present inventionwill be described with reference to the corresponding accompanyingdrawings.

The door closing and securing mechanism according to the presentinvention consists of the fixed part 9, which is arranged on the cabinet12, and the movable part 14, which is situated in the door 1 andcomprises a plurality of interacting components (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,10, 11), the movement trajectories of the individual components (3, 4,5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11) being derived from that of the handle 2. As clearlyillustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and. 4, the movable part 14 according tothe present embodiment of the closing and securing mechanism comprisesthe plate 3 that is inseparably coupled with the center pin 10 and thehandle 2. The center pin 10 is pivotally interconnected with the door 1.The end positions of the plate 3 are delimited by the elastic end stops4. Furthermore, the plate 3 is provided with the pivot 5 eccentricallymounted thereon and carrying the movable hook 8. The hook 8 and theplate 3 are interconnected by means of the compression spring 6 forforcing the hook 8 towards the fixed part 9 of the mechanism or towardsthe coaxial end stop 7. The end stop 7 is arranged coaxially withrespect to the center pin 10 of the plate 3. The shape of the hook 8enables the same to engage with the protruding fixed part 9. Due to theeccentric arrangement of the pivot 5, the hook 8 approaches to the fixedpart 9 during the phase of the closing movement of the door 1corresponding to the final phase of the movement of the handle 2. Thiscauses the door 1 to be pulled towards the cabinet 12. During the phaseof the closing movement of the door 1 corresponding to the final phaseof the movement of the handle 2, the hook 8 will rest against the endstop 7 which causes the hook 8 to move away from the fixed part 9 andenables the door 1 to be opened.

The function of the closing and securing mechanism according to thepresent embodiment is as follows. In FIG. 1, the closing and securingmechanism is shown in its open position, the hook 8 resting on the endstop 7. Turning the plate 3 in the direction of the arrow 13 causes thehook 8 to move towards the fixed part 9 mounted on the cabinet 12 and torest against the same, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Then, the continuingrotational movement of the plate 3 causes the hook 8, which engages withpro protruding fixed part 9, to start pulling the door 1 towards thecabinet 12. If the door assumes its closed position, no moment of forcewill act on the plate 3. This means that the position of the plate 3corresponding to the closed position of the door is maintained by meansof the friction produced by the center pin 10 or by means of the actionof the tensile spring 11, as seen in FIG. 3.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The door closing and securing mechanism is usable for operating cabinetdoors of laboratory, medical and sterilization apparatuses.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 door

2 handle

3 plate

4 elastic end stop

5 pivot

6 compression spring

7 coaxial end stop

8 hook

9 fixed part

10 center pin

11 tension spring

12 cabinet

13 arrow

14 movable part

1. Door closing and securing mechanism, particularly a mechanism forclosing and securing doors of laboratory, medical and sterilizationcabinets, which mechanism consist of a fixed part (9) attached to therespective cabinet (12) and a movable part (14) arranged in the door(1), characterized in that the movable part (14) comprises at least oneplate (3) provided with flexible end stops (4) and inseparably coupledwith the handle (2) by means of a center pin (10) with a coaxial endstop (7) attached thereto, the plate (3) being further provided with apivot (5) eccentrically mounted thereon and carrying at least onepivotally arranged hook (8), which has a recess for engaging aprotrusion of the fixed part (9), with an opening accommodating one endof a tensile spring (11) and with a compression spring (6) arrangedbetween the plate (3) and the hook (8).